Ben Whishaw set for Freddie Mercury role in Queen biopic

Last we heard on the Queen biopic, Sacha Baron Cohen had tentatively agreed to play Freddie Mercury but later pulled out over creative differences (probably wanted to add a catchphrase).

But, as the rock icon once declared himself, the show must go on, and now according to Deadline, the planned film is back on track with a new scriptwriter and even a revised title to go with it: Bohemian Rhapsody.

The man working on the new script is Anthony McCarten, whose Oscar-winning penmanship you might have already seen with The Theory of Everything. By all accounts, his first draft for the Queen film, itself based on the first draft from Peter Morgan, was seemingly enough to impress Sony Pictures, which has opted rights on the project.

Best of all, Deadline also states that Sony is eyeing Ben Whishaw for the role. Following turns in Spectre, Suffragette and The Lobster, the British actor’s a hot ticket right now and we’re betting he’d be a smart choice given his mix of art-house acclaim and burgeoning global appeal.

And if it all falls apart again? At least we’ll have the head-banging in Wayne’s World.

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Joe Ellison

Joe is a writer and editor. Specialising in film, food, sport, current affairs, travel writing and adept at pilfering David Brent quotes, Joe describes himself as ‘basically a chilled out entertainer’. Follow Joe on Twitter: @Chevychased